Ways Parted and Ways Reunited
by Maddeline Bonnefoy-Kirkland
Summary: - They have their own ways of saying "good-bye" and "I missed you," when she must do her duty in Aboveland, and when she can finally return to Underland. - Kisses 6 and 9 of the Kiss Meme; TarrantXOC; rated because of my pre-established paranoia.


**First things first: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Alice in Wonderland, 2010. I don't own Evelyn, either; nor do I own the Kiss Meme. They are all copyright to their respecitve owners.**

**Now that _that's_ done... I'm well aware that this is possibly two days later than planned, but... Okay, no, I _don't_ have any excuse for this, but hey, it's here, isn't it? Anyways... Some of you - if any of you care - may recognize this as most of my other story, Reunited. How astute of you. Yes, I am being sarcastic, and no, it is _not_ cheating to use a previously-written story for this (it can't be! *twitches*).**

**My slightly psycho paranoia aside, enjoy Kisses #6 ("Missed You" Kiss) and #9 ("Good-bye" Kiss) (69 hehe *shot*) from the Kiss Meme to be found on DeviantART. They aren't in order, but I don't care right now...**

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><p>She had done it. She had returned, just as promised. Of course, it hadn't been easy, and her travels had taken her across many foreign seas and to many a foreign country, but she had come back. She supposed, though, that she should have sent a certain blue butterfly ahead of herself to warn certain people, while making sure that certain <em>other people<em> remained out of the loop. Shaking her blonde head to clear it of her present, useless thoughts, the woman approached a quite familiar table.

However, in all honesty, this was not the return which she had promised when she had left after the Battle of Frabjous Day. No, that return had occurred much sooner than any of them had expected – she hadn't even been gone a week before she slipped down the rabbit hole once more…

_ She had had a bit of trouble with the pishsalver and upelkuchen, but eventually all of that had been sorted out; thankfully, even the dress she had been wearing at the time had survived. She had quickly, though reluctantly explained the situation to all the friends – and some more than friends – she had made in Underland, and she hoped that they all knew it pained her as much as it pained them to know she wouldn't be returning in the near future. What she needed to do could take a very long time, but she needed to do it, otherwise she would have always been asking herself what if, a thing that would have, in time, driven her madder than the person who had so quietly stolen her heart._

_ Their parting – at the door, which, she had found, worked both ways if one knew how – had been held separate from that of the rest. Because, really, there were things that needed to be said between them that none else could hear. (Thankfully, a certain reinstated, but still mentally and psychologically questionable White Knave had seen they were left alone.) Though she hadn't known where to begin, he had, and had pressed a gentle kiss first to her cheek, then the corner of her mouth. Though she was shocked, she managed to smile. Even now, when she knew that they were both having their hearts ripped in two, he was still a gentleman; he would never take something she wasn't ready and willing to give._

_ "It's not forever, you know," she had murmured, gently squeezing his hands. Of course, neither could tell who she was trying to reassure – him, or herself._

_ "Yes, I know," he had murmured in return, his lisp and sincerity so sweet to her ears it was almost painful. She had known, right then, that her dreams would be haunted for a long time to come, until she could see and hear him in the flesh once more. "But still, that doesn't mean I won't miss you – that I won't wait here, each and every day, until you can finally return for good."_

_ "Nor does it mean that I won't be counting the days until I can return here." She responded in kind, before rising on her tiptoes. He leaned down to meet her, and the kiss they shared tasted of both sweet and salt. She would remember the kiss forever, and not only because they had both been crying. She would remember it because it was both her first kiss, and her first kiss she had shared with the man she loved._

_ Then, she had pulled back gently, and slowly released his hands. Though neither she nor he could say those three little words at that time, they both knew it. Turning, then, she had walked to the door, and placed her hand upon the knob. With a sigh that sounded almost like a sob, she twisted it to the left – contrary to how it would normally have been to open the door, in Aboveland, but that was the only way she could return there – and pushed open the door. It opened to an earthen staircase, and a pinprick of light above. She turned her head back for one moment, but said nothing; then, she stepped through the door, her fingers slowly releasing the handle as it swung shut behind her._

_ She was gone. And still, he would hold true to his word; no matter how long it took, he would wait each and every day beside that door, until she returned through it once more._

Rousing herself from her memories, the blonde set her mind on the task at hand. She didn't have time for daydreaming; it had been so long already, it would have been sheer _torture_ if she prolonged this anymore.

As ever, the same innocent bottle was centered upon the glass top; a slight smile curved her lips as memories of her first three botched attempts came to mind. This time, she had long since resolved, _would_ be different. Taking the key in hand – she had yet to figure out how it simply appeared, but put it down to the magic of the place – she picked up the bottle and took a sip. Previous experience told her that this would be all she needed.

She was right. With a soft rustle and whisper of the cloth of her dress, the pishsalver went to work. She shrank down to the correct size to fit through the door. Thankfully, the key had shrunk with her. Gathering her dress and shift about herself as best she could, she retrieved the conveniently-placed upelkuchen. Juggling the handfuls of cloth, the aforementioned cake, and the key, the blonde headed as swiftly as she dared to the door. Upon unlocking it, she pushed it open and set the key down.

Pulling her dress behind herself, she made haste to get through the door. Once in the garden beyond, she allowed herself but a moment to take in the beauty of it all. Quickly getting to work, she situated her dress and shift around herself so she could correctly fill it out once she had consumed the upelkuchen. When this had been done to her satisfaction, she took a bite of the sweet; she needed to be careful, however – past experiences told her well enough what could and would happen if she took too much.

To her relief, it seemed she'd bitten off just the correct amount; she filled out her clothing just as she had before. After stretching and making sure everything worked as it should – though she'd never before heard of upelkuchen having side effects, it never hurt to check – she made to turn around, and survey everything for a third time and, she hoped, a final time. A voice froze her in place, a strange feeling tightening her chest. It was a feeling she hadn't been able to comprehend the last time – truthfully, at the time, she hadn't wanted to. Now, however, she was ready to embrace that feeling, and more importantly, the person it led her to.

"For once, you are neither too small nor too tall. At your right, proper, size, you've finally returned." A pause, then, "If a dream this be, dare I hope you've returned to me?"

The lisp she had so longed to head fell from his lips more sweetly than in her dreams. The brogue she knew so well graced her ears, more searing than in her wildest fantasies. But the words – the _words_! – caused the feeling in her chest to ignite into a near-all-consuming inferno. She felt as if she could melt with the heat of it. This liquid fire in her veins took all of her control to reign in, even if she did turn about and all but fling herself into a pair of waiting arms, her face buried in a very familiar coat. When she had recovered herself, she pulled back just slightly and looked up into a face she had desired to see for years.

Emerald locked with silver-blue, but both sets of eyes were soon closed as lips touched in a long overdue kiss. The unspoken message was obvious, if even only to the two. They had years to make up for, and all eternity to do it.


End file.
